


Structural Integrity

by cga1993



Category: The Walking Dead (TV), The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Attempted Rape/Non-Con, College AU, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Past Abuse, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3261449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cga1993/pseuds/cga1993
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>COLLEGE AU. Daryl Dixon is in the fourth and final year of his Civil Engineering degree at UGA. All he wants is to graduate and get on with his life. Get out, get a job, rise above the life he was born into. That's the plan. That is until he meets freshman music major, Beth Greene and he falls for her, hard. Can their relationship withstand the heavy burdens of their pasts or will they break?</p><p>*TW: Contains mentions of self-harm, suicide attempts, drug abuse, childhood abuse, and sexual assault. Each chapter will contain its specific trigger warnings in the beginning notes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction to Introductions

Beth shifted uneasily on the hard leather sofa, but she couldn't get any further from the man sitting on the other side without getting up and moving to a different seat, which were coincidentally all full. He turned to look at her and she diverted her gaze back to the questionnaire she was supposed to be filling out, but not without covering her wrist out of habit first.

She wasn't sure why she did it. The campus counseling office surely was no place to be hiding her self-injury scars, but old habits die hard. In fact that was why she was there in the first place. After several years of self-harm and a suicide attempt two years ago, Beth had dedicated herself to recovery and had achieved it. That was until she started university and the stress had become too much for her to handle. Not that she was planning to take her own life, she just craved that feeling of control. It scared her though, which was why she decided to make an appointment with a counselor before it got too bad.

She completed the questionnaire as quickly and honestly as she could and returned the clipboard to the receptionist. She awkwardly returned to her side of the sofa and the man on the other side looked up at her through his long brown hair and their eyes met for a brief second before Beth quickly looked away.

Looking away only served to remind Beth why she was at counseling in the first place. It wasn't like her to be so cold and avoidant. She was usually very warm and friendly, especially in a setting like this where she knew everyone in this waiting room must have been struggling with some kind of unhappiness, some kind of pain.

Two women appeared at the edge of the waiting room, the first called Beth's name and she got up to follow.

“Daryl Dixon.” the second woman called and Beth watched as the man sitting next to her stood and walked with his head down in the same direction.

* * *

 

“Tell me a bit about yourself.” Beth's counselor, Megan said. “What's your year? Your major? Where are you from?”

Beth glanced out the large window that overlooked the large campus and briefly admired the beauty of the autumn leaves before answering. “I'm a freshman and I'm majoring in music. I grew up on my daddy's farm outside of Senoia.”

Megan nodded and jotted something on her clipboard. “So what brings you to counseling, Beth?”

Beth took a deep breath and held her wrist in her other hand. “I tried to kill myself a couple years ago after my mom died.” she paused, needing a breath after lifting that heavy weight from her chest. “I was doin' fine til I got here and then I kind of just fell apart.”

“What do you mean by fell apart?” Megan asked.

“Everything just feels so weird.” Beth elaborated. “Like it's not what I'm used to. I'm homesick all the time and I feel like I just don't fit in. Everyone's partyin' and hooking up, but that's not me so I didn't make any friends during frosh week. The workload's a lot to handle too. The other night I was sittin' alone in my dorm room, thinkin' about all this stuff and I cut again. I just need some help so it doesn't get bad again.”

* * *

 

 

“How was your summer, Daryl?” Erin asked when Daryl took his usual seat across from her in her office.

Daryl shrugged. “Alright I guess. Same as usual, just workin' at my uncle's shop every day.”

“How did you handle being around your family again?”

Daryl grunted in response. “Well, my dad had a heart attack and died, so it was nice not havin' to listen to him anymore.” he paused when he realized how terrible that sentence might sound to anyone but himself. “That's wrong a' me to say, ain't it?”

Erin shook her head. “Sounds like a perfectly rational thing to say from what you've told me. Is there anything else you're feeling about his death though?”

Daryl shook his head. There was plenty he was feeling, but he did not possess the words to describe it. He was used to letting his feelings out in a physical manner, or sometimes a self-destructive one, which was what had landed him in here in the first place his freshman year.

“What about your brother?” Erin continued. “How was it seeing him? How did he take your father's passing?”

“Merle's still Merle.” Daryl replied. How could he explain his relationship with his brother? No one would ever understand. Merle could be an asshole, but they were bound to each other by the horrors of their childhood and their need to survive. Erin had described it as co-dependency once, but Daryl had no idea what that meant. He figured he could look it up, but he could never understand any of the Psychology books he'd seen at the campus library. “Drank a lot more when it happened though. Made him an even bigger asshole for a couple weeks, but then he just went right back to normal.”

“And your using habits?” Erin asked. “Did you have any trouble being around Merle and his habits?”

“I was doin' fine, just a few drinks after work and on the weekends and the occasional joint.” Daryl replied. “Til the day we had to clean out the old man's trailer. It was too much. I took a bunch a' pills and what shoulda been a one-day job took almost a week cuz Merle an' I got so fuckin' high we just fought or broke shit til we passed out.”

Erin nodded. “It's hard to deal with that kind of thing when you don't have any emotional supports. The pills were the only way you could have been in that house, weren't they?”

Daryl nodded.

“What about after?”

Daryl shook his head. “Nah. 'm over it.”

* * *

 

Beth left the campus health building feeling worse than she had before she had went in. She hadn't realized just how much everything was weighing on her until she had let it all out to her counselor. She had hoped some of that weight would be lifted at the end of her appointment, but quickly realized it would be a few more sessions until they reached that point. Maybe she could start some of that work on her own though and she resolved to find a nice spot on campus to write in her journal after her next class which she just so happened to be late for.

Beth looked around her, hoping she might be able to find a short cut to the humanities building where her introductory Religious Studies class was, but she wasn't that familiar with the large campus yet. All she saw were science and engineering buildings and all her other classes were on the other side of campus. She gripped the straps of her backpack tightly and broke into a sprint, praying she would make it to class in time. She was quick on her feet, but there was a spot where the pavement was cracked and she tripped, falling hard to the ground and twisting her ankle. She was about to pull herself back up and keep running to class when she noticed a shadow come over her.

“Hold on.” a rough man's voice said. “Might be broken.”

Beth looked up to see the man whom she had shared the sofa with in the waiting room. Daryl, she recalled.

“No,” Beth said. “I've broken it before, riding. It's nothing. I'm late for class.”

Daryl offered her his hand and helped her to her feet, his eyes on her foot.

“See, I can walk.” Beth said, taking a step forward.

“Where's your class?” Daryl asked.

“Price Hall.” Beth replied.

“C'mon.” Daryl said, jerking his head to the side.

Beth followed him the next few steps to where he stopped beside a motorcycle.

“Oh, no, it's fine.” Beth protested. “I can walk, it's fine. Thank you though.”

“You can't make it there by 1:30, get on.” Daryl ordered as he mounted the bike and flipped back the kickstand.

Beth had never been on a motorcycle. He daddy would have had a heart attack at the thought of it, but Daryl had a point, she would never make it to class in time. She swallowed her fear and hopped on the back.

She was so nervous. She didn't have a helmet. What if she fell? Why was there no seat belt? Not even a backrest? Where was she supposed to put her hands? She would have asked Daryl, but he had started up the engine and there was no way he would hear her.

Almost as if he had read her mind Daryl called back over his shoulder, “Hold on!” and took one of her hands in his and wrapped it around his torso.

Beth blushed. She could feel Daryl's rock hard abs under his shirt. She had to press her whole body right up against his back to fit her small arms around him. The wind whipped her hair all around her face and she had to bury her face in between Daryl's shoulder blades to avoid tearing up and ruining her make-up. She had never been this close to a boy.

Within minutes Daryl brought the bike to a stop at the bottom of the Price Hall steps and let Beth off. “Thanks Daryl!” Beth called as she took off to her class still buzzing with the adrenaline of her first motorcycle ride.

Beth slid into a seat in the back row of the lecture hall as quietly as possible and extracted her laptop from her backpack. She turned on the device and opened a new word document, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not focus on what her professor was saying. Her heart was still racing and she knew her cheeks were flushed. The minutes she had spent on Daryl's bike had been exhilarating. It was like it had awoken something inside of her that had been dormant for a long time.

She gave up on trying to take notes and opened her browser to Facebook, eager to find this Daryl Dixon and ask him for another ride. Of course she knew it was crazy. He'd only driven her to be nice, but Beth was incredibly lonely in her new environment and hoped that maybe if she tried hard enough this man would be her friend. She typed his name into the search bar, but nothing came up. Weird.

Beth remembered that he had looked to be a few years older than herself and recalled something her older sister, Maggie had told her about college seniors deleting their social media accounts or changing their names to hide anything embarrassing from potential employers. Maybe that's why she couldn't find him.

Beth used the rest of her time in class to shoot off a couple messages to her friends back home to see how they were doing and messaged Maggie to ask her when she was free. When the professor concluded the lecture Beth packed up her laptop and left the room quickly, hoping to beat the lines in the meal hall.

She was disappointed to see that when she walked through the doors of the meal hall it was already fairly busy. Not that she minded the wait, the real issue was seating. Beth preferred to arrive early so she could take a seat alone instead of awkwardly asking to join groups that were already there. The weather was still exceptionally nice though so Beth decided she would take a salad to go and find a place to eat out on the quad where she could write in her journal. Maybe she might catch another glimpse of Daryl while she was there.

* * *

 

_Dear Diary,_

_Something good finally happened since I came here. I met someone today and he even offered me a ride on his motorcycle. Daddy would have a fit if he knew I'd ridden it, but it was actually fun!_

_The guy who drove is Daryl Dixon. I met him at my counseling appointment. Well, I saw him there, but I didn't meet him until after. I was running to class and fell. He offered to drive me cuz it was on the other side of campus._

_He seems nice, even if he does look a little rough. He's the first person who's been genuinely nice to me since I got here and since he was at counseling too, maybe he understands. I really hope I see him again._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for giving this fic a try! I'm really excited cuz this is my first time writing an actual ship instead of an OCfic so I'm a little nervous.  
> Feedback is super welcome, especially on characterization.  
> For future reference, Daryl is only a few years older than Beth in this fic. Characters' from the show will not have ages really consistent with the show, except for a few. Hopefully it'll be pretty clear, but I'll try to make notes for clarifications if need be.  
> Thanks again!


	2. Intro to Keggers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Beth cross paths again at a party, but things quickly go bad for Beth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Drugs, alcohol and attempted sexual assault.

Daryl quickly scanned his classroom and found Rick sitting in the back, saving an empty seat for him. He pushed his way past his classmates to claim his seat. He greeted Rick with a nod and took a tattered spiral notebook from his backpack, prepared to take notes. This was the class he had been most eager for his entire four years at UGA, Residential Structures, an elective under the Civil Engineering major. It was a popular course, but somehow he and Rick had managed to each score a seat in the class along with Shane, but Daryl was less enthused about his presence.

“Hey, you comin' to the kegger tomorrow night?” Rick whispered to Daryl as their professor began the lecture.

Daryl shrugged. He wasn't one for college parties, especially keggers at the Zeta house. Rick had been begging him to rush the fraternity since he pledged in their first semester, but Daryl always declined. Rick was able to see past Daryl's rough exterior and even rougher background, but he doubted the other members could.

“Got some stuff to do.” Daryl grumbled. “Bike needs a tune up.”

“C'mon,” Shane urged, leaning across Rick's desk to look directly at Daryl. “We need a connection, my usual guy's outta town.”

Usual guy? Daryl doubted Shane knew of anyone else he could possibly buy drugs from.

“I'll call Merle.” Daryl replied. “Doesn't mean I'll stick around though. You gotta promise me you're good for the cash this time.”

Shane nodded. “'Course I am Dixon. Was good for it last time too, your stupid redneck ass just can't count.”

Daryl balled his fist. If Shane kept it up he wouldn't hesitate to put him in his place in front of the entire class. He may be redneck trash, but he had worked his ass off to get to where he was. The last damn thing he needed was some rich frat boy telling him he was stupid.

“Chill, Dixon.” Shane said, leaning back in his chair. “Learn to take a joke.”

Rick looked at Daryl apologetically and the conversation ended for the rest of the class.

 

* * *

 

“Hey Sasha.” Beth greeted her roommate as she entered their room Friday after her last class of the week. “You look nice. What've you got planned for tonight?”

Beth couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when she saw her roommate all dressed up in a mini skirt and tank top. She figured she was probably going out dancing with all her new friends.

“Party at Zeta.” Sasha replied, putting the finishing touches on her make up. “Wanna come?”

“I've never been to a party before.” Beth replied, shocked that Sasha had invited her. “Not a real one anyway. I don't think a sleepover where my friends stole their parents' wine really counts.”

Sasha laughed. “It most definitely does not.”

“I don't know. I don't think my daddy would approve. There was no drinkin' in our house cuz he used to have a problem.”

“First time for everything.” Sasha smiled at her.

Beth thought for a moment. Her counselor _had_ told her to try to put herself out there more. She was nervous about going to a party, especially a frat party, but it couldn't be too risky if she went with her roommate, right?

“Alright, I guess I could go check it out.” Beth agreed.

“Sweet!” Sasha exclaimed. “I'm going to Brewer's for wings with a couple of the girls from down the hall if you want to come too? If not we can swing by here and meet you before the party.”

“Wings sounds good. Let me just change and then we can meet up with them.”

Beth didn't feel the need to fix her hair or her make up, but she decided to change out of her jeans and tank top into a lacy navy blue sundress. She quickly threw on a light denim jacket in case the walk home from Zeta was chilly and followed Sasha to meet up with Andrea, Rosita, and Tara.

 

* * *

 

“Hey,” Rick said, passing Daryl a red solo cup full of beer. “Glad you made it.”

Daryl accepted the drink and nodded. “Nothin' better to do.” he said, still unwilling to admit after three years of friendship that he genuinely enjoyed hanging out with Rick. “Plus Merle'd kill me if he knew I passed up a sale to Shane.”

Rick shook his head disappointingly. Daryl knew that he didn't approve of Shane's drug use or the fact that Daryl sold. Daryl wasn't happy about it either. When he came to university, he swore he was leaving all that shit behind him, but he had to pay the bills somehow and this paid better than washing dishes or flipping burgers. Not to mention, saying no to Merle could be a dangerous endeavor.

“Lori make it up for the party?” Daryl asked, changing the subject.

Rick shook his head. “Nah, she couldn't get the weekend off.” he replied.

Daryl took a sip of his beer and scanned the party. He had shown up early so Shane could get high before the party started and hoped to disappear before the frat house got too crowded. God did he ever hate crowds. Those plans had gone out the window though when Rick had found him and offered him a drink.

“Daaaaaamn!” Shane exclaimed, appearing beside Rick. “Frosh alert!”

Daryl looked in the direction Shane was pointing and noticed a group of four girls who had just arrived at the party. Among them he recognized Beth, the girl he'd driven to class the day before. He was shocked at how pretty she looked. Not hot like the rest of the girls at the party in their tight skirts and crop tops, she looked like the kind of girl people wrote songs about. She was wearing a navy blue sundress and had her blonde hair pulled back in a braid. Her wide eyes nervously scanned the room and she smiled and waved when she caught sight of Daryl.

“You know her?” Shane asked as Daryl pretended he didn't notice the girl.

“No.” Daryl mumbled.

“Hey, Daryl!” Beth called, slowly making her way over through the crowd, her friends following.

Rick laughed. “You sure? Cuz she sure seems to know you.” he teased.

“Daryl!” Beth exclaimed as she finally reached him. “What are you doing here?”

Daryl shrugged, trying to play it cool. “What does it look like?”

“Oh, sorry, I just meant...” Beth grappled for words. “Are you a Zeta?”

“I look like a frat boy to you?”

Shane laughed. “No, he's not, but I am.” he extended his hand to Beth. “Shane Walsh.” he introduced himself. “This is my friend, Rick Grimes, and you've already met Daryl.”

Beth smiled and shook Shane's hand. “Beth Greene.” she said. “This is my roommate, Sasha, and Rosita, Andrea, and Tara.”

“My pleasure, ladies.” Shane said with a nod of the head.

“Wait, did you say your name was Greene?” Rick asked.

Beth nodded.

“You any relation to Maggie Greene?”

“She's my sister. Do you know her?” Beth asked.

“'Course we know Maggie!” Shane exclaimed. “Girl's a legend! Can't believe I'm meeting her sister. I bet you're twice the firecracker she is. C'mon, lemme get you a drink.”

Shane lead the girls out of the room toward the kitchen, leaving Rick and Daryl behind.

“So, how d'you know her?” Rick asked. In all the time he'd been friends with Daryl he'd never known him to make acquaintances with a girl as sweet looking as Beth Greene. Or really any girls for that matter. In fact, Rick had once been suspicious that Daryl might swing the other way until he'd visited him in his hometown the summer after their sophomore year and accidentally walked in on him and a girl at a party.

“Saw her trip on the sidewalk yesterday. She twisted her ankle so I drove her to class.” Daryl replied.

“So what was that then?”

“What're you talkin' about?”

Rick rolled his eyes. “Well, I can tell you I wouldn't even know Lori's name if I pulled that whole 'What does it look like?' thing you're doin'.”

“Who said I wanted to know her name?” Daryl scoffed. If he'd known that offering the girl a ride to class was going to result in this conversation he never would have done it.

Rick just smiled knowingly. “Whatever. C'mon, let's go outside, I know you're itchin' for a smoke and I got something I want to talk to you about.”

Daryl nodded and followed Rick through the house, passing Shane who was teaching Beth how to shoot pool, pressing up behind her as she leaned over to line up her shot.

Why had he given her a drive? Seeing her back there with Shane, Daryl realized she was just another annoying college girl, probably just here to snag some rich, frat boy husband. Why had she been at counseling though? That wasn't something any of these trust fund girls did for fun.

Daryl shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. He leaned against the railing of the frat house's large, wraparound porch and lit a cigarette.

“Any idea what you're doing after graduation?” Rick asked.

Daryl grunted and shook his head. “Not really. Just applyin' to different firms I guess.”

“You sure that's what you wanna do?” Rick inquired. “Sit at a desk all day, taking orders from some asshole in a suit?” Rick knew that wasn't Daryl. They had done their co-op placement at the same firm the year before and Rick often had to diffuse the tension between Daryl and their supervisor before it came to blows.

“What choice do I got?” Daryl retorted. “Go back to workin' in my uncle's shop? Driftin' with Merle? Nine to five at a firm might not be anyone's dream job, but it's the best someone like me can hope for.”

“What if we started our own business?” Rick asked.

“What, like our own engineering firm? We gonna design bridges and shit in your parents' basement?”

“Well, I wasn't thinking bridges.” Rick said. “We could design houses. I know that's what you wanted to do from the beginning.”

Daryl did not get a chance to respond when they were interrupted by one of the Zeta pledges.

“Uh... Rick?” the freshman said. “There's a problem inside. Can you...?”

“Yeah, sure thing, Zach.” Rick agreed. “Daryl, I'll catch you later. Let me know what you think about my idea.”

Daryl nodded and watched as Rick ran off back into the house. He took one last puff on his cigarette then flicked the butt into the shrubs below the porch. Having had enough of the party, Daryl walked down the steps of the Zeta house and began his way down the street to where his motorcycle was parked.

“You're leaving already?” a sweet voice called out behind him.

Daryl turned around to see Beth standing on the Zeta's lawn, partially hidden between the shrubs that surrounded the house.

“Yeah, got places to be.” Daryl lied.

“Oh.” Beth said. Daryl thought that maybe he heard disappointment in her voice, but he doubted it. No one was ever disappointed when a Dixon left a party.

“Shouldn't you be gettin' back to Shane?” Daryl asked bitterly.

Beth leaned against the side of the house and took a sip from her nearly empty plastic cup. “No, I came out here to get some air. My head's just spinning from all the noise and lights.”

Daryl nodded. “You never drank before, have you?”

“No, not really.” Beth confessed. “Am I supposed to be this dizzy?”

Daryl shrugged. “How many you had?”

“Jus' this one.” Beth slurred her reply.

Daryl squinted at her suspiciously. Beth was incredibly intoxicated. Even if it was her first time drinking and even considering her small size, there was no reason she should be this bad.

Beth raised her cup to her mouth to take another sip, but Daryl knocked it out of her hand before it could hit her lips.

“What're you doing?!” Beth cried.

“Who gave you that drink?” Daryl demanded, stepping forward to steady Beth whenshe looked like she might tipple over.

“Shane did.” she replied innocently.

“Did you watch him mix it?” Daryl pressed.

“No.” Beth said, her brow furrowed. “Why're you askin' so many questions? My head hurts.”

It was becoming clearer to Daryl that Shane had slipped the poor girl something. He filled with an inexplicable rage.

“C'mon,” Daryl said as he wrapped his arm around Beth's wait and slipped her arm around his shoulder.

“Hey, I can walk jus' fine!” Beth protested.

Daryl seriously doubted it. He hauled Beth back up the stairs of the frat house and was met by Rick who had returned from dealing with whatever problem the Zeta pledge had found him for.

“Daryl?” Rick said, concerned. “What's goin' on? Is Beth alright?”

Daryl shook his head. “No. Get Sasha, I'll explain later.”

Rick turned and re-entered the house in search of Sasha. Daryl brought Beth to a bench off to the side of the front door and set her down. She was quickly fading, losing her grip on consciousness.

“What's wrong?” Sasha asked as she dashed out the door and found Beth laying on her side on the bench. “What did you do to her?”

“Someone roofied her.” Daryl explained. “Take her home and keep an eye on her.”

“OK. I'll call someone to come pick us up.” Sasha said. “Shouldn't we call security though? Or the cops?”

Daryl shook his head. “Nah. I'll handle it.” he said, walking off into the house, Rick running after him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the great feedback I got on the first chapter. I've had this one done for a while, but I wanted to reread it a few times and make sure I was going in the right direction.  
> I just want to take a minute to apologize to anyone who is part of a Greek letter organization. I know I wrote an extremely stereotyped portrayal of Greek life in this chapter. I was in a sorority myself and have many friends who are part of GLOs and I am well aware that these stereotypes are damaging and often just simply BS. I wrote the events of this chapter not to attack Greek life, but to portray Shane as a mega-asshole.  
> Anyway, feedback is always much appreciated. Thanks again for reading!


	3. Physical Education

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight TW for some physical violence.

Daryl stomped off into the house, on a warpath to find Shane and kill that worthless scumbag. He couldn't believe that asshole had tried to roofie Beth. Shane could score with any chick at the party, but he wanted to drug and rape that sweet, innocent freshman. What an asshole.

Daryl spotted Shane in the kitchen, drinking a beer with a group of his frat brothers. Daryl knew Rick was right behind him, trying to talk him out of what he was about to do, but Daryl didn't listen to a word he said.

He broke through the circle of men and marched right up to Shane. Before Shane could even realize what was going on, Daryl punched him square in the jaw, knocking the back of Shane's head against a cupboard door.

“Fuck!” Shane yelled. “The fuck was that for?!”

“You know what it's for, asshole!” Daryl said, punching Shane in the nose this time.

Shane pushed Daryl back and suddenly the four frat brothers had Daryl on the ground, kicking him in the ribs while he fought to get back on his feet.

“Someone call the cops!” a girl shouted from the other side of the room.

Rick made an attempt to get in and break up the fight, but he caught an elbow to the nose. He winced from the pain and took a step back.

“Enough!” he yelled.

The men all stopped kicking Daryl, but kept him pinned on the ground. They turned their attention to Rick, waiting for his word. Even if they didn't agree with the fraternity president, they had to respect whatever it was he had to say.

“What?” Shane challenged Rick. “This redneck trash comes into our house and hits me and you tell me I can't defend myself?”

“Five on one ain't self defense.” Rick said firmly.

“Whatever, fuck you too.” Shane said then spat on Daryl.

Rick immediately stepped forward and his fist collided with Shane's eye. “I know what you did to that girl.” Rick said, low enough that only Shane could hear.

Daryl managed to struggle free of the four men who had him pinned and began throwing punches in every direction.

“Cops!” someone called from another room.

The men all scattered, leaving Rick and Daryl as the only ones standing in the kitchen as three police officers walked in. The two men stood, frozen on the spot, looking like a couple deer caught in headlights until the officers pushed Rick aside and began to place Daryl in handcuffs.

Rick protested the entire time, but it was no use. It was as if the officers did not even hear him. He felt sick as he watched them lead Daryl outside and shove him into the back of the cop car.

“Hey, want a ride to the station?” a voice asked from behind Rick.

Rick spun around to see Bob, one of his fraternity brothers standing behind him. “That'd be great.” Rick accepted. “Where've you been all night?”

Rick knew Bob was not one to get into fights or lose his temper, but he had expected to see him at least on the sidelines of the brawl in the kitchen simply because the majority of the senior brothers were there.

“I drove Sasha and Beth home.” Bob replied. “Didn't look like they could really walk. C'mon.”

Rick followed Bob down the street to where his car was parked. He remained silent, brooding in his anger while Bob made several attempts at small talk.

“I was outside.” Bob said seriously after all his attempts at small talk failed.

“What?” Rick questioned, turning away from the window to look at Bob.

“You asked where I was all night.” Bob replied calmly. “I was outside.”

“Why?” Rick asked, confused. He knew Bob rarely missed out on a party. He loved to party, maybe a little too much even.

“I quit drinking over the summer.” Bob answered, smiling proudly. “It's too tempting right now to be around it, so I just hung out outside.”

“Congrats, man.” Rick said. “It's good to have someone sober on a night like this.”

Bob chuckled. “Yeah, yeah it is.”

They pulled up to the police station just moments later. Bob put the car in park in front of the door and Rick stepped out, swallowing any fear he had about dealing with this situation.

“Thanks, Bob.” he said, leaning through the passenger side window after he closed the car door. “I really appreciate it.”

Bob smiled. “Any time, man. Give me a call when you need a ride home.” he said before waving goodbye and pulling away from the curb.

Rick turned and looked at the police station before him. He took a deep breath and stepped towards the door, ready for whatever might happen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Sorry it's so short. It was supposed to be combined with chapter 4, but I found it didn't fit very well as it's sort of from Rick's perspective. Also I've taken forever to update, so I wanted to give you guys something cuz the feedback for this story has been great and I feel like a neglectful author cuz I've been so busy and stressed lately.  
> Anyway, thanks again!
> 
> PS - If any of you have tumblr, you should totally follow me. I'm theprocrastinatingdead.tumblr.com


	4. Family Studies/ Introduction to Criminal Justice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of attempted sexual assault (if it's not already obvious, that's going to be a theme for the next few chapters since it's a central plot point)

Beth woke to the sound of her phone ringing. She groaned and rolled over, squinting to keep the bright morning light out of her eyes. She retrieved her cell phone from her bedside table and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Beth, where are you?” Maggie's voice came through the phone, each syllable causing Beth's throbbing headache to worsen. “You were supposed to meet me at the restaurant at 10:30!”

“What time is it?” Beth asked her sister as she sat up and rubbed her temples.

“It's quarter after eleven Beth.” Maggie said, annoyed.

“Oww... stop shouting.”

“I'm not shouting.” Maggie argued. “Are you hungover?!”

“No.” Beth replied although she was unsure of how true the statement was. She could remember going to the Zeta party, but everything was a blur. Maybe she was hungover. She looked across the dorm room and saw Sasha, rolling over in her bed and mumbling something incoherent. She would probably be waking in the next few minutes and Beth would ask her for details about their night out when she did.

“Liar,” Maggie teased. “You are _so_ hungover. Don't worry, just get dressed and I'll come pick you up. See you in twenty.”

“Alright, see you soon.” Beth said wearily before ending the call and collapsing back on her bed.

She had some ibuprofen in the drawer of her bedside table. She would take some once she felt like she could move without vomiting. What the hell had she done last night, she wondered. Beth strained to recall showing up to the party and seeing Daryl Dixon there and meeting Rick and Shane. She remembered Shane offering her a drink, but after that she drew a blank. How had she gotten home? How much had she had to drink?

Beth finally sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She realized she was still wearing the dress she had worn to the party. She knew she needed a shower, but she wouldn't have time with Maggie about to arrive at any minute. She quickly swallowed two ibuprofen with a gulp of water and then made her way to the washroom. Silently she thanked her lucky stars for getting placed in a dorm with a private washroom.

“How're you feelin'?” Sasha asked when Beth returned from the washroom.

“Like I got hit by a train.” Beth complained. “How are you so chipper?”

“Cuz I only had two drinks before I had to bring you home.” Sasha replied, turning away while Beth changed out of her dress and into a pair of leggings and a tank top.

“Bring me home?” Beth repeated as she threw a loose cardigan over her outfit. “Was I that wasted? How much did I have to drink, Sasha?”

Beth felt ashamed. Her whole life she had been warned about the dangers of alcohol and all it took was one college party for her to black out and embarrass herself.

Sasha turned back to Beth and looked her in the eye. “Beth, you weren't drunk, someone slipped you something.”

Beth's eyes widened with fear. It was worse than she had expected. Her mind reeled, rifling through all the possibilities. She was drugged. Someone had taken advantage of her. What if she was pregnant? What if she had caught some disease? What if they out pictures online? What if the whole school knew?

“Hey, don't worry,” Sasha said, sensing Beth's anxiety. “Nothing happened! That scruffy guy with the leather vest, he found you before you even passed out and got me to take you home.”

Beth sighed with relief. She was angry at herself for being naive enough to trust some strange frat boy to mix her drink, but she was immensely thankful that Daryl had found her and rescued her before anything bad could have happened to her.

Suddenly Beth's phone beeped as it received a text from Maggie who had just pulled in to the dormitory's parking lot. Beth thanked Sasha for helping her get home safely then took off to meet her sister.

“Jesus, Beth,” Maggie said at the sight of her sister. “You look terrible.”

“I feel terrible.” Beth groaned as she sat down in the passenger seat of Maggie's car. She grabbed a pair of sunglasses out of the console and put them on. Thankfully the shades helped to eliminate the pain caused by the bright sunlight.

“Nothin' some breakfast won't fix.” Maggie grinned as she pulled out of the parking lot, oblivious to the emotional turmoil her younger sister was currently experiencing.

Beth closed her eyes and rested her head on the car window. She tuned out Maggie's chatter the entire drive to the diner. They sat in the booth farthest from the door of the diner and each ordered a stack of pancakes and bacon.

“So how are your classes going?” Maggie asked.

“Alright.” Beth said. She felt her headache beginning to fade away and was eager to get something in her stomach. “How's work?”

“Good.” Maggie replied. “Business is really picking up. We might need to hire another project manager.”

Maggie had gotten a job right out of college several months earlier. It was a struggle for her at first, although she would never admit it to her family. Maggie was a partner at a recently created marketing firm and on top of getting the business going she was constantly having to prove herself as the youngest and only woman in the firm. The job wasn't all bad though, there she had met her boyfriend, Glenn, a graphic designer for the firm.

“How's Glenn?” Beth asked.

In the beginning she had been surprised that Maggie would date someone like Glenn. All through high school and university Maggie was never really one for relationships. There were plenty of guys who would give their left nut to go on a date with her, but none of them were ever good enough, none of them could keep up with her. That's why Beth was so surprised when she met Glenn. She expected the guy who finally got Maggie to be a little more forward, but once she got to know him and see him with her sister, Beth knew exactly why Glenn and Maggie worked so well.

“Good.” Maggie said. “There's something I need to tell you, Beth.”

“What is it?”

Maggie stretched out her left hand, showing Beth a small diamond ring.

“Oh my gosh!” Beth gasped.

“Don't tell Daddy yet!” Maggie said. “We're gonna tell him at Thanksgiving. I just had to tell you though, I couldn't keep it a secret that long.”

“That's amazing, Maggie.” Beth said. “I'm so happy for you.”

“Will you be my maid of honor?” Maggie asked.

“Of course!” Beth agreed. “When are you guys thinking for the wedding?”

“We're thinking of May.” Maggie replied. “The farm will look really nice and it won't be too hot.”

Beth smiled. “Not as many bugs yet either.”

Both girls laughed and Beth began to feel better about her night. At least no one had succeeded in taking advantage of her. She could recover from the drugs. For now all she wanted was to enjoy her day with her sister. The waitress arrived with their food and the girls chatted about work and school while they ate.

Just as they were finishing their meal, Beth's cell phone began to ring. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Sasha calling.

“Hello?” Beth answered, confused as to why her roommate was calling her when she usually just texted.

“Hey, Beth,” Sasha said in a serious tone. “Listen, don't freak out, but the police were here and they want to talk to you about last night.”

Beth felt as if she might be sick. She just wanted to forget about the party. She stood from the table and stepped outside the restaurant, not wanting Maggie to hear. “Are they still there?” she asked on the brink of tears. “How did they find out where I live?”

“I don't know,” Sasha replied, “But they want you to go down to the station. They said to tell you not to worry, you're not in trouble.”

Beth took a deep breath and collected herself. “Thanks, Sasha. I'll see you later.”

“No problem. Good luck.” Sasha said before Beth ended the call.

“Hey, you alright?” Maggie asked, stepping out of the restaurant just as Beth returned her cell phone to her pocket.

Beth shook her head.

“What's going on, Beth?” Maggie asked.

“I need to go to the police station.” Beth said, her voice wavering.

Maggie's eyes grew wide with shock. She opened her mouth, ready to freak out like a typical protective older sister, but the fear in Beth's eyes stopped her. The sisters got into Maggie's car and drove across town to the police station. On the way Beth explained what she could recall of the previous night's events.

“Promise you won't tell Daddy?” Beth asked as Maggie parked the car.

“Beth, he needs to know!” Maggie insisted. She was red in the face and she could feel her blood boiling with anger. She knew the scumbag who had tried to rape her sister and she wanted revenge.

“Maggie, please!” Beth pleaded on the brink of tears. “If he finds out, he'll make me move home!”

Maggie sighed, defeated. As angry as she was, and as much as she felt that telling Herschel was the right idea, she had to respect what Beth wanted. “Alright, but if things get worse, we have to tell him.”

Beth nodded.

“Ready to go in?” Maggie asked.

Beth nodded again and the girls got out of the car and entered the police station. It was only moments before an officer retrieved Beth from the reception area and lead her to a room toward the back of the building. The detective pointed Beth to a chair and took the one on the opposite side of the table from her.

“Miss Greene, where were you last night?” the detective asked once he was seated.

“I was at a party at the Zeta fraternity house.” Beth replied confidently. Something about this situation didn't feel right. Beth felt as if she were being interrogated, as if she had been the one to commit a crime last night.

“I've heard from several witnesses that you were drinking at this party.” the detective said.

Beth felt immediately guilty. Had she just listened to her Daddy and stayed away from alcohol and anything related to it, none of this ever would have happened. “I had one drink.” she replied, loosing any bit of confidence she had when she entered the room. “Am I in some kind of trouble?”

“No, no, not at all Miss Greene.” the detective assured her, his stern tone lightening just a little. “I have witnesses who say you were slipped a date rape drug at the party last night.”

“From what I've been told, I was.” Beth said. “I can't remember much after I got that beer.”

The detective nodded as if everything Beth said had just confirmed his suspicions. “Miss Greene, is this the man who drugged you?” he asked, extracting a sheet from a file folder on the table and sliding it in Beth's direction.

Beth looked down at the sheet. It was a mugshot of Daryl Dixon.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading and comments are always much appreciated!  
> I can't believe I've updated twice this week! Although I have had this chapter started for quite a while now. Unfortunately updates won't be as frequent after this since I'm back to work tomorrow and back to school on Monday. Eww.


	5. Music Appreciation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Referenced self-harm, attempted sexual-assault, and child abuse.
> 
> Song lyrics belong to Emily Kinney.

“No!” Beth gasped at the sight of the mugshot Detective Holloway had presented her with. “No, it wasn't Daryl. He's the one who found me and got my roommate to take me home before anything worse could happen.”

Beth was shocked that Detective Holloway would suggest that Daryl Dixon would do something so disgusting to her. The man had gone out of his way to protect her twice now and Beth was certain he would never do what the detective was suggesting. Of course last night was only Beth's second time meeting Daryl, but Beth knew a good person when she saw one. Now if only she was better at knowing a bad person when she saw them, perhaps she could have avoided all of this.

“No,” Beth said. “It wasn't Daryl, it was Shane... I can't remember his last name, but I know he's a Zeta and I know he knows my sister, you could ask her his last name and-”

“Alright, Miss Greene.” Detective Holloway interrupted. “That's all I needed to know. With the reports that Mr. Dixon found you alone outside after being drugged, it was necessary that we rule him out. I already know of Shane Walsh, he was involved in another incident last night.”

“Incident?” Beth asked. “What kind of incident? Did he try to do this to someone else?”

Detective Holloway shook his head. “I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss other open cases with you, Miss Greene. Do you have a way back to your dormitory?” The detective rose from his seat and ushered Beth out of the room.

“Yes, my sister is waiting for me.” Beth replied.

“Alright.” Detective Holloway said, handing Beth his card. “Here's my number if anything comes up. Campus security at UGA has been notified and they will escort you to classes and such if you feel unsafe. They're a quicker point of contact if there is an emergency on the campus. I'll be in touch with you as the investigation progresses. Thank you for your time, Miss Greene.”

“Thank you.” Beth said, shaking the detective's hand.

“Hey.” Maggie greeted her sister as she returned to the reception area of the station. “C'mon, you've had a long day. Let's get your stuff from your dorm and head home.”

“Home?” Beth repeated. Maggie had promised she wouldn't tell her father what was going on. Why did they have to go to the farm now?

“My house.” Maggie elaborated. “Did you think I'd let you stay on campus with all this going on? No way.”

 

* * *

 

_Dear Diary,_

_These past few days have been exhausting. I'm sorry I've neglected you, but something bad happened to me. Well, I guess it's not as bad as it could have been, but it's still pretty bad._

_I went to a frat party with Sasha Friday night and I saw Daryl Dixon there. I said hi since he's the only person I know on campus outside of my dorm, but he was acting kind of rude. One of the guys he was with, Shane was being nice to me though and offered to get me a drink._

_I never should have accepted cuz that's when everything went downhill. My memory is kind of fuzzy after having the beer, but Shane slipped a roofie in it! Daryl found me outside talking nonsense and found Sasha who took me back to the dorm._

_Sasha stayed up almost all night to make sure I was alright. I can't believe she did that! I thought she hated me._

_Anyway, Maggie took me out to breakfast the next morning but then the police wanted me to go to the station to talk about what happened. They thought Daryl was the one who drugged me which is crazy. I wonder why they already had a mugshot of him though. What has he been arrested for? Now that I think of it, he was wearing the same clothes in that mugshot as he was at the party. Weird._

_I'm currently being held prisoner at Maggie and Glenn's house cuz Maggie is afraid that something will happen to me if I go back to campus. Glenn is working from home this week so he can drive me to and from my classes. I know it's not really safe with Shane still under investigation, but I feel like a child being supervised and escorted everywhere like this. Maybe once the police or the school figure out what they're doing about Shane, Maggie will let up and I can go back to my dorm. I can't believe I actually miss that tiny little room!_

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey, Glenn, I've got an appointment on campus at three o'clock.” Beth said, peaking around the door frame of Glenn and Maggie's shared home office.

Glenn looked up from his computer. “OK, just let me save this and I'll take you over.”

“It's alright, I can take a cab.” Beth insisted. “I was planning to go practice in the studio after my appointment anyway. You're working and I've already been such a burden on you and Maggie this week.”

It was now Thursday, Beth had been staying at Glenn and Maggie's house since Saturday. The police had arrested Shane Wednesday morning and informed Beth that all they needed from her to proceed with a trial was a victim impact statement since there were already so many witnesses. Beth was beginning to feel safer on campus and needed out from her sister's smothering surveillance.

“I can drop you off and you can just call me when you're ready to come home.” Glenn offered.

“Maggie would freak out.” Beth argued. The older Greene sister had made sure Glenn waited on campus, in the same building as Beth until she finished classes instead of simply dropping her off and picking her up. The only reason Maggie was not doing this herself was because she was currently in the process of hiring her firm's new project manager and could not miss work.

“Maybe we just won't tell her.” Glenn said. “I'll drop you off and go kill some time at the comic book store so she thinks I'm with you.”

“Thanks.” Beth smiled at her soon-to-be brother-in-law. “Let me just grab my bag.”

 

* * *

 

Beth quietly hummed along to the music she was listening to on her iPod. She needed to calm her nerves before her counseling appointment somehow and her humming didn't seem to be bugging any of the other students in the waiting area.

The door to the clinic opened and Beth instinctively looked up. Her eyes met with Daryl's and Beth cracked a wide smile. She motioned for him to join her on the sofa, but he turned around and walked back out the clinic door.

Beth was hurt. Why would Daryl run away from her like that? She didn't have time to think of an answer though, when her counselor, Megan came to collect her from the waiting room.

“So how was your week?” Megan asked, taking a seat across from Beth in her office. “Did you do any of what we discussed last week?”

Beth shook her head. “No, uh... I haven't had a chance.”

“Why's that?” Megan asked.

Beth looked away, twisting her bracelets out of habit. “Something happened at a party the other night. I'm staying at my sister's for a while.”

“What happened at the party?”

“This guy slipped something in my drink.” Beth replied.

Megan stopped writing in her notepad and stared wide-eyed at Beth. “Have you reported it?”

“I didn't report it, but the police found out anyway. I think someone at the party reported it. My memory's pretty fuzzy.” Beth explained. “Nothing happened though. This guy, Daryl, he found me wandering around outside and found my roommate and got her to take me home.”

“So how are you feeling about everything?” Megan asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Beth shrugged. “I don't remember much of that night, so there's not much to feel about it, right? Besides, nothing actually happened. It was kind of scary going to the police station, but that's over and Detective Holloway isn't as scary as he seemed. Staying at my sister's is kind of annoying though. I know she just wants to keep me safe, but it sucks having to be escorted everywhere I go. Today's the first time I've been able to go out on my own all week.”

Megan nodded and scribbled something in her notepad. “Have you talked to your sister about how you feel?”

“Maggie can be hard to talk to once she's made her mind up on something.” Beth said with a small laugh. “I think I'm going to tell her tonight that I want to go back to my dorm tomorrow.”

“So you're feeling OK about everything?” Megan asked. “Have you considered self-harming again during all of this?”

Beth shook her head. “No.”

“Alright,” Megan said. “It's just that the stress of something like this could bring those feelings out again. Do you think you've got enough coping tools if that happens?”

Beth nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

Megan nodded. “Alright. Before we finish I'm going to get you the number of a hotline, just in case, OK?”

 

* * *

 

Daryl rolled his eyes as he heard yet another untuned guitar start up down the hall. For a building designated to the Fine Arts faculty, the sound-proofing was pretty shitty.

He thought he had gotten off easy when the police released him early Saturday morning, telling him that the school would deal with the assault. Now he'd rather be doing time than cleaning paintbrushes in one of the school's art studios. This school sure had some strange methods of punishment.

This wasn't the weirdest punishment Daryl had endured at UGA either. Two years ago he'd gotten in several drunken fights and tried to start a fire on the central quad and instead of kicking him out like he thought they would, they sent him to counseling.

He figured he shouldn't complain though. There was no punishment that could begin to compare to the kind his father had exacted upon him. Cleaning paintbrushes and going to counseling didn't leave scars like whippings and cigarette burns. Daryl still thought it was weird though. He sure as hell wouldn't let himself off so easy.

“Hey,” a sweet, familiar voice interrupted Daryl's thoughts. “What're you doing here?”

Daryl dropped the paintbrushes in the sink and turned around to see Beth Greene standing in the middle of the art studio. How long had she been there?

“You're not an art major, are you?” Beth asked.

“I look like an art major?” Daryl growled. What was with this girl and all her assumptions about him? Why didn't she see him as the redneck trash he was?

“Sorry,” Beth said. “Why are you cleaning brushes then if you're not an art major?”

“Cuz whatever hippies run this damn school think this is a good punishment for beating the shit outta some rapist frat boy.” Daryl replied.

“I never got a chance to thank you for Friday night.” Beth said timidly.

Daryl mumbled some kind of inaudible protest, but Beth didn't seem to care. She stepped toward him and wrapped her arms tightly around his sculpted torso. “Thank you.” she said, looking up at him with those gigantic blue eyes of hers. Daryl bit the inside of his cheek awkwardly, unsure of what to do about Beth's arms around him. This was exactly why he'd turned around and left when he saw her at the counseling office. Daryl wanted to avoid a situation like this.

“Do you want some help with those?” Beth asked when she finally let go and took a step back.

Daryl shook his head. “Naw, s'posed to do it myself. That's the point of a punishment, right?”

“I owe you though.” Beth said.

“Don't owe me nothin', girl.” Daryl said, turning around to get back to work.

“Alright,” Beth said, biting her lip nervously. “I guess I'll leave you to it then, I've got to go and sign for my practice time anyway.”

Daryl shrugged. He didn't even watch her leave. Something about Beth Greene made him uncomfortable. It was a strange feeling whenever he saw her or thought of her, a feeling he'd never felt before. It freaked him out. The less interaction he had with her the better.

Daryl continued to clean the brushes, but he worked slower than he had before. The untuned guitar had stopped and the whole room filled with a soft, sweet piano melody. Not that it was something Daryl would willingly listen to, but it was nice. When he had washed and dried every brush, he found himself washing down the counters just to hear the music a few moments longer.

With no more work left to be done in the art studio, Daryl decided it was time to get out of there and slung his bag over one shoulder. He stepped out of the studio, but instead of heading to the exit he was drawn in the direction of the piano music, now accompanied by an angelic voice.

“And we'll buy beer to shotgun, and we'll lay in the lawn, and we'll be good.”

From the door of the studio Daryl could see that it was Beth. Of course that was Beth's singing, who else could that voice come from? He leaned against the door frame and watched as she played. The look of intense concentration on her face had him transfixed.

Suddenly Beth looked over her shoulder and saw Daryl staring at her from the doorway.

“Keep singin'.” Daryl said, trying to hide his embarrassment at being caught watching.

Beth smiled and continued her song while Daryl crept into the room. Still playing, Beth slid over on the piano bench to make room for him. Daryl sat down, gripping the edge of the bench and trying to look anywhere but in Beth's direction. Beth finished her song, smiling at Daryl between lyrics.

“You're good.” Daryl said, unsure of what to say next. He had never really complimented a woman before. He knew his words weren't enough though. Beth was better than just “good”.

Beth blushed and looked down at the piano keys, avoiding Daryl's gaze. “Thanks.” she said.

An awkward silence filled the air. Neither knew what to say to each other. Besides their names, they really didn't know one thing about the other.

“I should go.” Daryl said regretfully.

“No!” Beth protested, possibly a little stronger than she had anticipated. “Stay?”

“The hell you want me to stay for?”

“We could hang out...” Beth suggested.

Daryl frowned. What did this girl not understand? Guys like him had no business being near girls like Beth Greene. “I gotta get goin'. Got an assignment due in the morning.” Daryl mumbled an excuse.

“OK.” Beth said, markedly disappointed.

“C'mon, I'll walk you back to your dorm.” Daryl said. He didn't like the idea of Beth walking across the campus alone, even if Shane was gone. It was dark and she was so tiny. She wouldn't stand a chance against anyone.

“Thanks,” Beth said, “But I'm not staying in my dorm right now. My sister's holding me hostage til this whole thing blows over.”

“Where's she live?” Daryl asked. “I'll drive you.”

“Duncan and Elm, but you don't have to do that.” Beth protested. “My brother-in-law, he's-”

“Don't worry about it.” Daryl cut her off. “It's on my way anyway.”

“Alright,” Beth said, defeated. “But you can't keep doing things for me and not letting me pay you back.”

“Said don't worry 'bout it.” Daryl said, leading the way out of the studio.

Beth gathered her sheet music and hurried to catch up with Daryl. Much to her delight, she spotted his motorcycle in the parking lot. He tossed her a helmet and hopped on, flipping back the kickstand and waiting for her to get on. Beth put her hands on Daryl's shoulders to steady herself and swung a leg over the bike. She felt the same eager butterflies in her stomach as before when she held onto Daryl as they took off.

The ride was over sooner than Beth would have liked. Daryl stopped in front of Maggie and Glenn's house to let Beth off. She removed the helmet and returned it to the saddlebag.

“Thank you.” she said, giving Daryl a quick kiss on the cheek before dashing off into the house.

Daryl was frozen in place for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what had just happened. She was only being friendly, he told himself. Of course a girl so full of sunshine like Beth Greene would kiss someone on the cheek as a goodbye. He shook his head, dismissing the action as nothing and pulled away from the curb.

“Beth!” Maggie called from the front step on the house. “Where have you been? And why did you just get off some guy's motorcycle? Where's Glenn? He was supposed to be watching you!”

Beth realized she had forgotten to tell Glenn that she didn't need a ride home.

“Calm down Maggie, he's a friend.” Beth explained. “I ran into him when I went to the school to practice and he offered me a ride home. He's the guy that found me Friday night. It's fine, gosh, you sound like Daddy.”

“Calm down? How am I supposed to be calm when I don't know where you are?”

“Maggie, I don't need you to babysit me!” Beth exclaimed. “I can take care of myself! Glenn wasn't even watching me tonight and I survived.”

“He wasn't watching you?” Maggie repeated.

“No, I told him not to. I don't need constant supervision, Maggie. Glenn's at the comic book store. He doesn't think I need watched all day either.”

“Beth, I'm sorry, but I can't stand the thought of what could've happened to you.” Maggie insisted.

“But nothing did, Maggie! Don't you get it? Nothing happened to me! I can take care of myself! Please, I just want to go back to normal. Let me go back to my dorm, please.”

Maggie folded her arms over her chest and sighed. She knew she was defeated, but she needed to keep the upper hand, she was the older sister after all. “Fine,” she conceded, “But Glenn and I are gonna be checking in on you everyday and if we don't hear from you, I'm telling Daddy everything.”

Beth hated the conditions, but knew this was the closest she'd get to an agreement with her sister. “Deal.” she said, relieved that she could finally go back to her regular routine without Maggie breathing down her neck. Before Maggie could possibly change her mind, Beth raced off to the guestroom to gather her things.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long to update. I swore this one would be quick too cuz I've had the majority of it written for weeks. I've been super busy with finals and applying to my next degree and finding a new apartment, but I realized I wouldn't get any assignments done after work tonight cuz of my migraine so I figured I'd write the final paragraphs of this chapter. So, I hope everyone enjoyed it. As always, thanks for reading and feedback is much appreciated!


	6. Campus Security

Beth absentmindedly tapped her pencil on the top of her desk to the beat of the song playing on her iPod. She was in the library stacks, studying for a Sociology quiz, happy to be on campus again, free from her sister's surveillance.

Beth never thought she would be happy to be studying, but she surprised herself. She really enjoyed her Intro Sociology class. She was considering it as a back-up if her music major did not work out. She was so immersed in her textbook that she hadn't noticed the other students pack up their books and leave the library. It wasn't until a security guard informed her the library was closing that she realized just how late it was. She apologized to the guard and packed her books up.

Outside the air was chilly, autumn was certainly on its way. Beth zipped up her hoodie and began her walk back to her dorm, imagining just how beautiful the campus would look when the leaves began to change. She was enjoying her walk until she realized where her path had lead her.

Beth stopped, frozen in place, staring at the Zeta house in front of her. The house was lit up and milling with people. She could hear the music even over her headphones.

“It's OK.” Beth told herself. “He's not here. He's banned from campus. He can't hurt you.”

She stepped forward and felt her stomach churn. She considered turning around and taking the long way back to her dorm, but now that she saw the party, Beth knew she couldn't shake the feeling. It was as if the events of the previous Friday had only just became apparent.

“Beth?” a familiar voice called a few paces closer to the house, calming Beth's nerves.

“Daryl?” Beth called back.

“What're you doin' here, Beth?” Daryl asked, stepping away from his motorcycle to approach her.

“I was walking home from the library and I forgot that this way would lead me right past here.” Beth said anxiously.

“You alright?” Daryl asked awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with Beth.

“Yeah,” Beth replied. “I mean, I should be, right? He's gone. He can't hurt me.”

Daryl noticed that Beth was trembling slightly as she spoke. She was scared, even with Shane gone.

“I can take you home if you want.” Daryl offered.

“Oh, no, that's alright.” Beth insisted. “You came here for a party, you don't have to worry about me.”

Daryl stifled a laugh. “Don't have to worry about you? Every time I see you, I'm helping you get outta some kinda mess.”

Beth blushed. “Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm kind of a trouble magnet, that's what my Daddy always says.”

“I wasn't here for the party anyway.” Daryl explained. “Just came by to talk to Rick about something. C'mon, get on.” he motioned to his bike. “Gonna have to get you your own gear soon, you're on here so much.”

Beth tried to hide her excitement as she hopped on the back of the bike after Daryl. It took less than 5 minutes for Daryl to drive Beth to her dorm, but Beth enjoyed the ride nonetheless.

“Guess I'll see you 'round.” Daryl mumbled as he let Beth off.

“D'you wanna come in?” Beth asked, surprising even herself.

Daryl shook his head. “I gotta get goin'.”

“Daryl Dixon, what could you possibly have to do at ten o'clock on a Friday night?” Beth asked.

Daryl shrugged.

“Come up, I'll order Chinese.” Beth invited. “C'mon, I owe you and I doubt you're gonna let me pay you back any other way.”

“Next time.” Daryl said. “Here, gimme your phone.”

Beth looked confused, but passed Daryl her cell anyway. She watched as he punched in some numbers and passed it back to her.

“My number.” Daryl explained as he put up the kickstand on his motorcycle and gripped the handlebars. “Just in case.”

“Thank you.” Beth said quietly, realizing that this was as close as Daryl Dixon would ever come to admitting out loud that they were now friends.

Daryl nodded at Beth before promptly speeding off into the night. Beth released a breath she only just realized she had been holding. She watched Daryl drive away until she could no longer see the lights of his bike.

Beth stepped into the lobby of her residence and climbed the stairs to her dorm room, feeling as if she was buzzing. It was a strange feeling, similar to an anxiety attack, but oddly it felt good. She was glad when she opened the door to find a note from Sasha saying she would be out for most of the night.

Beth flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. It was so weird. Minutes earlier she had been terrified and now she was buzzing with excitement. What was going on? What about Daryl Dixon made her feel like this? Beth took her phone from her pocket and stared at his number until she had it memorized.

Beth had had crushes before, but she felt like that wasn't an accurate description of how she felt. There was something about Daryl that made her crave his company. She wanted to know everything about him, especially whatever made him so distant and mysterious. Beth felt safe when she was with Daryl, but at the same time everything was new and exciting.

Beth groaned and shut her eyes. Realizing how she felt about Daryl was the last thing she needed right now. This was the second hardest time in her life and here she was with a stupid crush on some redneck biker. Great.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long. I moved and got a ton more hours at work and then writer's block hit me hard. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was really short. My writer's block seems to be going away so hopefully there will be another one soon. Thanks for reading!


	7. Study Hall

Daryl woke to the sound of his phone ringing. The morning light was shining through the large window of his studio apartment. Normally he would just silence his phone and go back to sleep at this hour, but he remembered giving Beth his number and panicked, praying to anyone who was listening that she wasn't in any kind of trouble.

            “Beth?” Daryl answered his cell phone.

            “Dang little brother!” A familiar voice laughed. “If you're waitin' on some hot piece I'll call back later.”

            Fuck. What did Merle want this early?

            “Nah, 's'alright.” Daryl mumbled, “Wha' you want?”

            “Well you could let me in.” Merle said, followed by a loud knock on Daryl's apartment door.

            Daryl groaned and hung up the phone. He got out of bed and quickly put on the jeans and t-shirt he'd thrown on the floor the previous night. He crossed the apartment and opened the door for his brother.

            “Hey brother!” Merle exclaimed, a little too upbeat for such an early hour. Daryl could tell just by the way Merle was standing that he was high.

            “What do you want?” Daryl asked bluntly. “I got shit to do.”

            “I want my money.” Merle said.

            Daryl rolled his eyes and lead Merle into the apartment. Merle sat at Daryl's small kitchen table and Daryl took a wad of cash from a hollowed-out textbook on his desk.

            “There.” he said, dropping the cash on the table in front of Merle. “Now get out.”

            “Not so fast, brother. Take your cut.” Merle said, tossing a few bills at Daryl.

            Daryl looked at the small amount Merle gave him. “That's it? I'm doin' all the damn work and this is all you give me?”

            “I'll give you more when you move this.” Merle said, taking a large bag of assorted pills from his pocket.

            Daryl shook his head. “Nah, I'm done.”

            “Done?” Merle raised his voice, a crazed look entering his eyes. “This is the most profit we've ever made and you're done?”

            Daryl rolled his eyes. “The most profit _you've_ ever made. Plus you just smoke it all anyway.”

            “Shut the fuck up!” Merle yelled.

            “There's no money left in it.” Daryl said. “Your buyer's goin' to jail.”

            Merle's eyes widened, the drugs now amplifying his fear with paranoia. “He got busted? We gotta get outta town 'fore he gives you up.”

            Daryl shook his head. “Ain't like that. He tried to drug and rape a girl at a party.”

            “He use our stuff to drug her?” Merle asked.

            “I think so, but they ain't after us.”

            “You sure?” Merle asked.

            Daryl nodded. “Yeah. He's gone, but the school and the cops are watchin' the frat now. Even if they wanted to buy, I ain't gonna risk it.”

            “Then find new clientele!” Merle yelled. “For fuck's sake brother, we've sold in towns a hundred times smaller than Athens an' never got caught.”

            Daryl shook his head. “Nah. I'm done. I can't risk it.”

            Merle was fuming. “You think cuz you're some educated college boy now that you're too good to sell drugs? Too good to do business with me? You forget that sellin' drugs got you here, boy?”

            Daryl had enough of Merle degrading him in his own damn home. He rarely took a stand against his brother, but he couldn't jeopardize his future anymore, not after he'd come so far. Daryl stood up and looked Merle in the eye.

            “I ain't gonna be your bitch no more. Get the fuck out 'fore I show you out.”

            “Whatever.” Merle huffed. “You're fuckin' dead to me.” He spat on the floor at Daryl's feet and left the apartment.

            Daryl watched as his brother slammed the door behind him and stood frozen in place. It took a moment for everything to sink in. The Dixon brothers had had similar arguments in the past. It was almost an annual event, but never before had it felt so final. Daryl felt no guilt over it though, only anger. Merle made him take all the risk when he had the most to lose and gave him nothing in return. Fuck that.

            Daryl could get through the rest of the year without the money. His scholarship and loan covered his tuition. Rent and groceries wouldn't be much of a problem so long as nothing came up. Hell, deer season was opening next week, he could leave town for the weekend and get enough meat to last him a few months while he looked for a job. He wasn't too worried, just angry.

            Too angry to go back to bed, Daryl decided he'd go pick up a coffee at the cafe downstairs then go meet Rick to study for an upcoming test.

            “Hey Daryl.” Carol, Daryl's landlord and owner of the cafe greeted him. “Here, it's on me.” she pushed a paper cup of coffee across the counter.

            “Thanks.” Daryl mumbled then took a large gulp.

            “Everything alright?” Carol asked.

            Shit, had she heard them yelling upstairs?

            “Yeah, my asshole brother just stopped by.” Daryl replied.

            Carol shook her head. “There’s something about your brother… reminds me of my ex-husband.”

            Daryl nodded. He’d heard some rumors when he first moved in about the landlord’s ex-husband. How he was a no-good piece of shit that beat her until she finally walked out on him. Daryl never cared for gossip, other people’s lives were none of his damn business. That was until he came home from the library late one night in his second year to find the lights still on in the café, hours after Carol should have closed for the night. Daryl had a gut feeling that something was wrong. He didn’t hesitate to kick in the door. He found Carol in the back, her ex-husband, Ed towering over her. It didn’t take much to send that coward running and Carol had been friendly with Daryl ever since.

            “Want something to eat?” Carol asked.

            “Sure. Got anything to go?”

            “Study session?”

            Daryl nodded.

            “Here,” Carol said, reaching into the display case for a couple sandwiches in plastic containers. “Take one for Rick too.”

            Daryl thanked Carol for the sandwiches and stuffed them into his pockets. He fired off a text to Rick before hopping on his bike and heading toward the campus.

           

 

* * *

 

 

            “Rough night?” Daryl teased as Rick walked up to their table in the library unshaven and with dark circles under his eyes.

            Rick nodded.

            “Some party, huh?” Daryl prompted. He wondered how the guys had managed without their usual supply. He had expected Rick to look less haggard with fewer frat boys high on pills to deal with.

            “Pretty tame party for Zeta, thankfully.” Rick replied. “No, Lori came up for the weekend and we fought all night. She wants me to drop out and move home.”

            “What for? You’re almost finished.”

            Rick shrugged. “I dunno. She didn’t say. She was just ramblin’ on ‘bout how her dad could get me a job on the force and we could buy a house.”

            “Sounds rough.” Daryl said. He had no advice for his friend. His experience with women went no further than drunken one-night stands.

            “We’ll work it out, we always do.” Rick said. “Now let’s get this finished so we can go to Nowhere.”

            Daryl nodded and opened his textbook and they began to study. This was their routine. Hit the books then hit the bar. It was the only ritual Daryl had ever held in his life. It was like Sunday dinner or an annual reunion. His friendship with Rick was the closest to normal he’d ever come, the closest thing to a family he had.

            When they finished studying it was early evening. Daryl got on his bike and Rick started up his old clunker of a car and they met at Nowhere, a bar a few blocks from campus. The waitress knew their orders before they even sat down. She kept the beer coming as the guys talked school and football. They were just discussing the Bulldogs’ newest players when Daryl received a text message.

            He looked at his phone and read the message.

            “Hey, it’s Beth. Thanks again, for everything. Want to get coffee on Monday?”

            His face turned red and he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

            “Who’s that?” Rick asked.

            “Oh, uh… Beth. Beth Greene.” Daryl said, getting flustered.

            “The girl from the party last week?” Rick asked.

            Daryl nodded.

            “How’s she doin’?”

            “Think she’s a little freaked out, but all freshmen are.” Daryl replied.

            “You see her much since then?”

            Daryl shrugged. “Drove her home from campus a couple times.”

            Rick nodded, feeling his suspicion was correct. “You like her.” It wasn’t a question.

            “What? No I don’t.” Daryl protested. “She’s just some kid that always needs me to save her.”

            “Sure you’re not trying to be the damsel’s knight in shiny armour?” Rick teased.

            “Hell nah.” Daryl said firmly, hoping Rick would drop it.

            Thankfully Rick got the message and the two resumed their conversation about the school football team.

            When Daryl returned to his apartment that night, he took another look at his phone. There were three more messages from Beth.

            “Hey, did you get my text?”

            “Maybe you’re just busy. Sorry if I’m bothering you. Just get back to me when you can.”

            “I must have the wrong number. Sorry random stranger, I’ll stop texting you now.”

            He was the one being rude and ignoring her, but Beth was apologizing to him? This girl was too kind for her own good.

            Daryl sighed and put his phone on silent before setting it down on his nightstand. He passed out with his clothes still on and Beth still on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for how long this took to update. Writer's block got me bad, but apparently the cure is to just read more fanfiction? Sure, why not?  
> Hope you enjoyed it. As always, feedback is always much appreciated. Thanks for reading!  
> PS - Nowhere is a real bar in Athens. I thought it would be a cool place for Rick and Daryl to hangout and it sounds really cool. Like someone asks you where you're going and you just reply, "Nowhere!". I'm lame. Please no one sue me for using this bar in my story.


	8. Fall Coffee House

 

            “Hey, you're Beth, right?”

            Beth looked up from her breakfast to see a boy who looked vaguely familiar standing at the side of her table in the meal hall.

            “And you sing?” the boy continued.

            “Yeah, but how do you-”

            “Sorry,” the boy said with a half-laugh and a flash of a friendly smile, “Didn't realize how creepy that sounded til I said it. I'm Noah, we have Music Theory together. I've seen you practicing in the Fine Arts building a couple times. You're really good.”

            “Oh, uh... thanks.” Beth blushed.

            Sasha eyed the boy suspiciously. “You going somewhere with this?”

            “Yeah,” Noah replied, “I'm part of the Fine Arts Society and we're putting on a coffee house next week. I was just wondering if you'd sign up? So far we don't have many musicians signed up, just a lot of drama students.”

            Beth thought for a moment, Sasha and Noah both waiting intently for her answer. It had been a while since she'd performed, not counting church choir. Maybe this would help get her mind off of all the crazy things that had happened since she'd started school. She figured she could stand to widen her social circle a bit anyway, especially with Daryl ignoring her.

            “Sure.” Beth agreed.

            “Great!” Noah smiled. “Here's the sign-up form, it's got all the details.”

            “Thanks.” Beth said, taking the sheet of paper from Noah.

            “No problem. I'll be here at 5:30 for supper if you wanna give me your form then.”

            Beth smiled. “Sounds good. See you later, Noah.”

            Beth carefully folded up the sheet of paper and put it in her back pocket.

            Sasha stared at Noah suspiciously as he walked away. “Is he for real?” she asked, turning to look at Beth when Noah was out of her line of sight.

            “What?” Beth asked defensively.

            “That boy just wants in your pants.” Sasha said.

            “What? No.”

            Sasha nodded. “That whole coffee house sign-up was just an excuse to talk to you.”

            “That’s crazy.” Beth said. “Why would he need an excuse to talk to me? We have class together and we live in the same housing block.”

            Sasha shrugged. “You gonna sign up?”

            Beth nodded. “Yeah, I think I will. I’ve been writing a new song and I wanna try it on an audience.”

            “Cool. I’ll come too and be your wingwoman.”

            Beth laughed. “Sure.” She filled out the form quickly before finishing her scrambled eggs.

 

* * *

 

 

            Beth was beginning to wonder if Daryl had dropped out of school. She hadn’t seen him on campus all week. It was a big school and he was in a totally different faculty, but she didn’t spot him anywhere that their paths normally crossed. He wasn’t at the counselling office. His punishment for beating up Shane must have ended because Beth no longer found him cleaning paintbrushes in the Fine Arts building where she had booked extra practice time this week in preparation for the coffee house.

            Why was Daryl avoiding her? Was she annoying him? Had she offended him? Maybe he was just sick of saving her every single day.

            “Hey, I’m singing at a thing on campus this Friday.” Beth texted him on Wednesday. “You should come.”

            Beth poured herself into her music to avoid thinking about Daryl. It worked for the most part, but when things got quiet, Beth caught herself listening for the sound of a motorcycle engine.

            When Friday night finally rolled around, Beth packed up her guitar, making sure she had extra strings and picks just in case, and headed across campus with Sasha. They were almost to the building she was to perform in when Beth’s phone beeped.

            “Oh no…” she said, reading the text message from Noah (Sasha may have been right about him seeing as he began texting Beth as soon as he got her number off of her registration form).

            “What is it?” Sasha asked, looking back at Beth.

            “Noah says the room got double booked by accident.” Beth said, discouraged. “They’re moving to some café across town.”

            “Come on then.” Sasha said, walking in the other direction.

            “Sasha, let’s just go home.” Beth said as her roommate dragged her down the path.

            “Text Noah for directions and we’ll take your truck.” Sasha said. “We don’t get off campus nearly enough.”

            Beth just shook her head, knowing she couldn’t stop Sasha when she was determined. The girls got in the old Chevy that Beth’s father had fixed up for her to drive home on long weekends and they followed Noah’s directions to the café.

            The first thing Beth noticed was a familiar motorcycle parked outside the café. Her heart skipped a beat and it momentarily felt like she was falling. He was here. Daryl had seen her text and was coming to hear her sing.

            “No way.” Sasha said, looking in the same direction as Beth and putting two and two together. “Either Dixon is secretly an aspiring rockstar or you’ve got a real fan.”

            “Definitely a rockstar.” Beth said sarcastically. She had to keep it together. If she thought too much about Daryl she knew she would mess up her song.

            The girls got out of the truck and went inside the café. Noah spotted them instantly and greeted them happily.

            “Hey! Glad you found the place OK.” He said, his attention focused on Beth. “We’re almost done sound check. Want to grab a couple seats before it gets too crowded in here?”

            “Yeah, sure thing.” Beth said, her eyes scanning the room for Daryl.

            Noah lead the girls to a table directly in front of what hardly passed for a stage. “You’re gonna go on near the middle of the show, Beth.” Noah said, passing her a sheet of paper with the line-up scribbled down in red pen. “Right after the improv group, if they don’t make everyone leave.”

            Beth laughed nervously. She had only half payed attention to what Noah had said. There was still no sign of Daryl.

            “You want something to drink?” Noah asked. Beth tried to protest, but Sasha asked for two vanilla lattes before Beth had the chance to speak. Noah nodded and went to the counter to order.

            “Sasha, don’t take advantage of him.” Beth scolded her roommate.

            “It’s not taking advantage if he offers.” Sasha shrugged. “Are you interested in him?”

            “He’s not a bad guy.” Beth replied. “We’ve been hanging out between classes lately. He’s really funny. It’s just…”

            “Dixon No-Sleeves?” Sasha teased.

            Beth bit her lip. Her and Sasha weren’t that close. She was surprised and embarrassed that her little crush had been that obvious. If it was that obvious to Sasha it must be even more evident to Daryl. That must be why he was avoiding her.

            “Can we talk about it after?” Beth asked. “It’ll only make me more nervous.”

            “Sure.” Sasha agreed as Noah returned with their lattes.

            The girls thanked him and he smiled then stepped toward the corner which would serve as the stage for the evening. He grabbed a mic and tapped it. Everyone in the café covered their ears until the awful feedback was dealt with.

            “OK, OK, calm down. Like you’ve never heard feedback before.” Noah joked. “Alright, welcome to the first FAS coffee house of the year. I’m Noah and I’ll be your MC for the night. Before we start, I want to thank the lovely Carol for letting us use her café. At least someone in this town prioritizes the arts, huh?” He paused while the small crowd clapped their appreciation for Carol. “Now I promised her this would pay off, so y’all better drink your body weight in fancy coffee. Alright, enough jokes, time for… more jokes from second-year stand-up comedienne, Addy Clayton!”

            Noah returned to the table with Beth and Sasha. He paid little attention to the acts after he introduced them. Sasha knew he was focused on Beth, but she swore he was just running through his introductions in his head.

            By the time it was Beth’s turn, she was shaking. It had been so long since she’d performed in front of an audience, she wasn’t sure she could pull it off. She took a deep breath and adjusted the mic. She quickly scanned the room, hoping to find Daryl, something she’d avoided doing since she had sat down with Sasha. When Beth realized there was no sign of him she cleared her throat and began to play.

            Her voice was shaky as she sang the first few notes, but it didn’t take long for Beth to get comfortable on stage. She was in her element. She couldn’t believe she’d gone so long without performing.

            She smiled when she finished and did a quick little curtsy before returning to her seat. Sasha was grinning at her and gave her a high-five.

            “Alright, let’s take a quick break and get back to the performances in fifteen!” Noah said to the crowd. He was standing on the makeshift stage and smiling at Beth through every word.

            “Wanna get some air?” Sasha asked, ready to continue the conversation they started before the show.

            Beth nodded and followed her outside to the alley.

            “Where the hell is he?” Sasha asked.

            Beth looked at Daryl’s bike and knew exactly what Sasha meant. She shrugged. She was relieved that someone else recognized it as Daryl’s. She was beginning to think she was crazy.

            “Maybe he’s in one of the bars we passed on our way over.” Beth suggested. “There isn’t much parking here. We got pretty lucky with that car pulling out across the street just as we came by.”

            “Bikers, think they can park in alleys and not use the meter like the rest of us…” Sasha mumbled. “So you _like_ him like him, right?” she asked Beth.

            “It’s just a stupid crush, Sasha, please don’t make a big deal out of it.” Beth begged her.

            “It is a big deal though. You’ve been bright red since you first saw his bike out here.” Sasha argued. “I don’t know how you usually go about these things, but you’ve got to act on whatever this is before you lose your damn mind.”

            Beth laughed nervously. “What would Daryl want with some silly freshman girl that he’s always got to come and save? He’s got better options.”

            “See, there’s your problem.” Sasha said.

            Beth sighed. She knew she had a self-esteem problem. It was a large part of why she was going to counseling. She didn’t like that someone had noticed it though, she was sick of people feeling sorry and trying to protect her.

            “Well, Daryl’s not here and I’m freezing.” Beth said, wanting desperately for Sasha to drop the subject. “Let’s go back inside.”

            Sasha shook her head and followed Beth back to their table. The performances started up again and Beth tried to forget about Daryl’s whereabouts and just have fun with her friends.

            Noah was in the middle of whispering some joke about the current performer when something caught Beth’s eye. There he was, walking away from the counter with a paper cup in hand.

            Sasha, wide-eyed, jerked her head in Daryl’s direction, silently telling Beth to go.

            “Sorry, Noah, I’ve gotta… there’s… sorry.” Beth stammered as she got up and pushed her way to the back of the shop. Meanwhile, Daryl had slipped out the side door into the same alley where Beth had found his bike parked.

            “Wait!” she called after him.

            Daryl turned and scowled at her. “Beth?”

            Beth didn’t know what to say. There was so much she wanted to say, but it was all so confusing. She wanted to cry. She wanted to fall into his arms. She wanted to slap him across his stupid, ruggedly handsome face.

            “Why the hell have you been ignoring me, Daryl?!” she demanded, marching right up to him and poking her finger into his chest.

            Daryl took a step back. “Well it obviously ain’t workin’ if you show up at my damn apartment!” he yelled back.

            “Your apartment?” Beth repeated.

            “Yeah, I live here.” Daryl replied, still sounding hostile. “How the fuck did you find it?”

            “Oh no, Daryl. I’m so sorry.” Beth said, avoiding eye contact. “I’m so stupid. I was performing in Noah’s coffee house thing and I invited you but you never replied. Then I saw your bike out here and I thought you were just being a jerk…”

            “Nope, I just live here.”

            Beth hung her head in shame. She felt like some creepy stalker. She was so embarrassed that she had flown off the handle at Daryl like that. “I’m so sorry.” She said again.

            Unable to see Beth upset, Daryl shrugged and assured her it was fine, something he wouldn’t do for most other people.

            “Why have you been ignoring me?” Beth asked, determined to get an answer and realizing the sadness in her voice got a better response out of Daryl.

            “I’m bad news, Beth.” Daryl explained. “Girl like you’s got no business hangin’ ‘round someone like me.”

            “What do you mean?” Beth asked. “Every time I see you, you’re saving me from some kind of mess.”

            “I’m the reason you end up in those messes, Beth.” Daryl elaborated. “Anything bad happen since I last saw you?”

            “Daryl!” Beth protested. “Don’t say that! That’s ridiculous. What Shane did was not your fault. I’m just a magnet for trouble.”

            “Then do yourself a favour and stay away from me.” Daryl said. He turned and began to ascend the stairs to his apartment.

            “I don’t want to stay away!” Beth blurted out.

            Daryl froze and turned around to face her again.

            “Like it or not, Daryl, you’re someone I want in my life and I’m not giving up on that just because you think poorly of yourself.” Beth said confidently. “You’re a good person and you’re crazy if you think otherwise.”

            “You don’t know me, Beth.” Daryl said.

            “But I want to.” She reached for his hand and looked at him pleadingly.

            Daryl looked into Beth’s big blue eyes, so full of trust and innocence. He was so used to people only wanting to hurt him, but something told him Beth was different. As anti-social as he may seem, Daryl was surprisingly adept at reading people.

            “Fine.” Daryl said.

            Beth smiled, pleased that she had won this battle. “Can I come up?” she asked.

            “Sure.” Daryl said, wondering if he’d regret his decision to let her in.

            Beth followed him up the stairs to the studio apartment. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to find. The clutter and disarray were not surprising, typical bachelor lifestyle. The large crossbow sitting on the table was rather jarring though. Maybe should have heeded Daryl’s warning. Maybe she was going to get chopped to bits and thrown in a river somewhere.

            “Look like you never seen a weapon before.” Daryl scoffed when he saw the look on Beth’s face.

            “Not in person.” She replied.

            “You serious?”

            Beth nodded. “My Daddy never had any guns in our house. ‘Least not after he quit drinkin’. He said we didn’t need ‘em. We had enough to eat and he never intended to hurt anyone.”

            “Must be nice.” Daryl grumbled. Of course Beth had never seen a weapon before. How else would someone turn out so sweet and innocent? She probably had some perfect family, never seen the kind of shit Daryl had seen.

            “I’s just about to clean it and get ready to go out tomorrow.” Daryl explained. Even for him leaving his prized bow out on the kitchen table wasn’t normal. He owed Beth enough of an explanation to convince her he wasn’t some serial killer or whatever she seemed to be thinking. “Goin’ huntin’ tomorrow.”

            “Oh, am I keeping you?” Beth asked.

            Daryl shook his head. “Nah, ‘m just killin’ time.” He looked at his bow and realized this might be his opportunity to scare Beth off for good. “You wanna come with me?”

            “Huntin’?” Beth asked, taken aback by Daryl’s offer.

            “Yeah, huntin’.” Daryl confirmed. “I can show you some other stuff too, how to defend yourself when I ain’t around to save your ass.”

            Beth was beaming. “Sure!” she said enthusiastically. “What time are we leaving?”

            “I’ll pick you up at five.” Daryl planned. “That should give us ‘nough time to get outta the city.”

            “OK.” Beth said. “I should probably go pack my stuff then.”

            Daryl nodded. “Need a ride?”

            “No, I have my truck.” Beth explained. “I should go find Sasha downstairs though.”

            Daryl just nodded, staring at Beth, wondering when she would leave his apartment.

            “Alright,” Beth said nervously, backing toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

            Daryl nodded and watched Beth walk out the door. He sighed and wondered what kind of day he was in for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry I disappeared for a while, I got some pretty bad writer's block on this chapter, but after reading a pretty inspiring Bethyl fic yesterday I decided I'd try and write this one out. I guess it worked, but I'll let you guys be the judge of that. Let me know what you think in the comments! Thanks again!


	9. Wilderness Survival I

“Jesus, girl,” Daryl said through the rolled-down truck window as he pulled up into the parking lot of Beth’s dorm. “Got enough shit?”

                Beth was bundled up in a heavy jacket, carrying a backpack with a large duffel bag on the ground in front of her. “Gotta be prepared, right?” she giggled.

                “This ain’t girl scout camp.” Daryl said.

                “Aww, I was hoping you’d let me braid your hair.” Beth teased. She hoisted her duffel bag into the bed of the truck and then hopped in on the passenger side.

                Daryl put the truck in drive and tore out of the parking lot.

                “For someone who does this so often, you sure aren’t much a morning person.” Beth commented.

                Daryl merely grunted in response. He kept his eyes on the road and hands gripped tightly on the wheel.

                “Alright, well if you don’t wanna talk I guess I’ll just do some studyin’ then.” Beth said, hoping desperately that Daryl would engage with her. When he didn’t she sighed and fished a textbook out of her backpack.

                The ride was long and boring. About forty minutes in, Beth fell asleep with her head resting against the window, her book slipping from her hand the moment she let go of consciousness. The rising sun illuminated her face and Daryl had to remind himself to keep his eyes on the road.

                Daryl felt his stomach tightening like knots and his palms become sweaty. This was starting to happen whenever Beth was around and Daryl didn’t like it. It was a strange feeling that he had never felt before, but he needed to make it stop. The only way he could see it stopping was if he could finally get Beth to leave him alone. He was determined to use this hunting trip to scare the girl away for good.       

 

* * *

 

                When Beth awoke, Daryl was putting the truck in park. She sat up and looked out the window, assessing their surroundings. They were in a clearing at the end of a dirt road, a dense forest laid before them.

                “You ready?” Daryl asked.

                Beth stretched and nodded. She was prepared to crush whatever challenge Daryl threw at her. She hopped out and got her things from the bed of the truck.

                “Can’t take all that with you.” Daryl said.

                Beth frowned. “Why not?”

                “Well if you think you can carry two packs all weekend, go ahead.”

                “I can keep them in the cabin, can’t I?” Beth asked, growing more confused.

                Daryl laughed. “Tell ya what, you find a cabin out here, you can keep all your damn bags in it.”

                Beth sighed. Of course Daryl Dixon didn’t have a hunting cabin. No, Daryl Dixon was the kind of guy who camped out, deep in the woods whenever he went hunting. He probably didn’t even use a tent.

                Beth rummaged through her duffel bag and shoved anything she deemed necessary into her backpack. She tossed the half-empty duffel bag into the truck cab then locked it. She slipped her backpack on and jogged to catch up with Daryl who had already begun forging a trail through the woods.

                “You hungry?” Daryl asked.

                Beth nodded. She had planned to make Daryl stop for a drive-thru breakfast, but had slept the entire way to… wherever they were.

                Daryl stopped and pointed to the ground. “Deer was through her not too long ago. ‘F you wanna eat tonight, best get to followin’ it.”

                Beth felt her heartbeat speed up. Daryl expected her to catch their dinner? She looked at him, wide-eyed. She noticed he was carrying nothing on him at all, save for his crossbow, a hunting knife, and a bandana. Beth was going to die out here. Daryl Dixon was going to kill her.

                “I- I- I don’t know how to track a deer, Daryl!” Beth stammered.

                Daryl smirked as he watched Beth get anxious. “First step’s not to scare it.”

                Beth rolled her eyes. “Fine, what’s the next step?”

                “Just follow it, you’ll figure it out.” Daryl said.

                Beth sighed and carried on through the forest, following the tracks through the damp earth. They walked in a comfortable silence. The only time either spoke was when Daryl pointed out signs Beth had missed.

                “Daryl, the prints are gone.” Beth said, coming to a stop.

                Daryl nodded and approached the spot where Beth stood. He knelt down and examined the ground.

                “Earth’s too dry for prints.” He stated. “Gotta find something else to go off of. Tell me what ya see, Greene.”

                Beth frowned and looked around herself. It looked like the deer had just up and disappeared.

                “Did somethin’ else get it?” she asked.

                Daryl shook his head. “Nah, there’d be signed of a struggle. Keep lookin’.”

                Beth looked closer. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just moss and bushes and broken twigs.

                “Wait!” Beth exclaimed, excited at her discovery. “Those twigs are snapped and part of that bush is bent. It went this way!” She looked to Daryl for his nod of approval then happily followed the new trail.

                Despite walking behind Beth, Daryl took notice of everything in their path. He looked ahead of Beth, assessing the signs before she could even find them. They walked for about half an hour after losing the deer’s tracks when Daryl saw something in the distance that caused him to reach out and grab Beth by the shoulder.

                “Shh…” he hushed her, knowing full well she would object quite vocally to being stopped. “Hold up.” Daryl stepped around her and inched forward to inspect the scene.

                “Daryl, what the hell?” Beth asked as she watched him crouch down and survey the ground.

                “Somethin’ got it.” Daryl explained.

                “Then where’s the blood?” Beth asked, now crouching next to Daryl.

                Daryl looked around. Beth was right. Whatever had ambushed their deer couldn’t have chowed down on it where they stood.

                “Look!” Beth pointed deeper into the woods. “Looks like it got away. C’mon!”

                Daryl held her by the shoulder once more. “No.”

                “Why not?” Beth asked.

                “Whatever attacked it, it’ll be on its trail too. I ain’t leadin’ you straight to a pack of coyotes or Chupacabra.”

                “Chupacabra?” Beth repeated. “Daryl, don’t tell me you believe in some demon-dog roamin’ the woods.”

                Daryl shrugged. “I saw one once, I swear.”

                Beth laughed. “OK, sure you did.”

                They turned around and headed in the opposite direction, Beth teasing Daryl about his Chupacabra the entire time. Daryl would take it though, if it meant leading Beth away from any sort of danger. It concerned Daryl that his instincts were telling him to do so. Normally he would have carried on after that deer, but the thought of Beth getting hurt made him sick. Sure they had lost what was probably some damn fine deer, but Daryl would catch a few rabbits or squirrels for them for dinner.

 

* * *

 

                “Mmm… this is actually pretty good.” Beth said as she bit into her second helping of roasted squirrel. She may have been lying, but she had packed herself tons of treats that she would eat when Daryl wasn’t looking. Not to mention her toothbrush so she could scrub the gamey taste out of her mouth before turning in for the night.

                Daryl showed what might have passed for half a smile then bit into his squirrel.

                “You did good today.” Daryl said through a mouthful of food.

                “Thank you.” Beth blushed.

                As it turned out, Daryl had indeed brought a tent. Albeit nothing more than a simple tarp, it was shelter nonetheless. He was however, apprehensive about sharing such a tight space with Beth for the night.

                Beth yawned and looked up at the darkening sky. It certainly wasn’t time to be losing this much sunlight, she thought. The loud clap of thunder answered her suspicion quicker than she could piece it together.

                “Shit.” Daryl cursed, grabbing their packs and hiding under the tarp just as the rain began to pour.

                “Is this thing waterproof?” Beth asked as she slid in next to Daryl.

                Daryl shook his head.

                “What are we gonna do, Daryl?” Beth asked.

                Daryl shrugged. “Dunno, but we best get out of this clearing ‘fore the lightning starts.”

                Beth nodded and slipped her pack onto her shoulders.

                “You ready?”

                Beth nodded.

                Daryl took her hand in his. “Run.” He said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Personally, I'm not very fond of this little chapter, but I needed to bridge a gap to something bigger and better in the next chapter and I hate making my readers wait as long as I do.  
> So, thanks again and as usual, feedback is always welcome!


	10. Wilderness Survival II

                “What’s that?” Beth asked, noticing Daryl pick up a mason jar of some mysterious clear liquid.

                They had finally settled into the ramshackle cabin, if you could call kicking the trash out of the way so they could throw down their sleeping bags “settled”. They had run aimlessly through the rain for almost an hour until they found it. It was filthy and caused both of them anxiety for different reasons, but at least they could stay dry inside. Beth was reading an old newspaper at the kitchen table and Daryl was pacing the house, growing evermore agitated with the torrential downpour that had washed them out of their tent.

                “None o’ yer business.” Daryl mumbled as he twisted off the lid and took a swig.

                “Eww! You can’t just drink from random jars, Daryl!” Beth exclaimed, jumping up from her chair. “Is that… is that _liquor_?”

                Daryl shrugged. “Must be.”

                “My Daddy says bad moonshine will make you blind.” Beth said.

                “Ain’t nothin’ worth seein’ here.” Daryl said then took a final swig before tossing the empty jar at the wall, causing it to shatter.

                “Daryl, what the hell?” she demanded.

                “What, y’ain’t ever seen some dumb redneck get drunk on shine?” Daryl raised his voice.

                “Daryl, stop. You’re scaring me.” Beth said as she tried to fight her quivering lip. What had she done to make Daryl so angry? Sure their hunting trip was ruined because their camp got rained out and they were lost, but that couldn’t be enough to make him lash out like this, could it?

                Daryl looked at her almost triumphantly, as if he had just won some argument Beth wasn’t aware they were having. “This scares you, huh?” Daryl repeated. “Good! Now maybe you’ll stay the fuck away from me.”

                Beth imagined this was what it felt like to be stabbed in the chest. She felt like she was choking. It was so hard to breathe… Then the tears came. Daryl’s words stung. She sobbed and sobbed. She had been trying so hard to win Daryl’s friendship, to impress him, and this whole time he thought she was just an annoyance. This whole trip was some kind of plan to hurt her so she’d be out of his hair forever.

                “Like cryin’s gonna change anything.” Daryl scoffed. He shook his head and stepped outside, slamming the door behind him.

                Beth cried with her head in her hands. All she wanted was to curl up and cry herself to sleep, but the furniture in the abandoned cabin was so disgusting, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She would give anything to be back home with her family and forget that any of this had ever happened. Her daddy was right to worry when she moved out; she wasn’t ready for college or any of this real world crap.

                Beth tried to slow her breathing and think about the farm. She pictured Sunday dinner when her mom was still alive, riding Nellie through the fields and surrounding woods, playing with her old cat, Lucy…

                She remembered the day when she was six that Lucy turned sour and scratched her across the face. Beth had bawled her eyes out and hid in her room, upset that her pet had hurt her. When Beth didn’t come downstairs for dinner that evening, her daddy came to look for her.

                “What’s wrong, Bethy?” Hershel had asked.

                “Lucy hates me.” Beth pouted.

                Hershel sat on the edge of his daughter’s bed and scooped her up onto his lap. “Come on now, Lucy doesn’t hate you. Just this morning she was curled up at the foot of your bed.”

                “She scratched me.” Beth sniffled, showing Hershel the cut.

                Hershel examined the cut and gave Beth a kiss on the forehead. “Did you consider there might be something wrong with Lucy? That she might need our help?”

                Beth shook her head, ashamed that she hadn’t been more considerate of her cat and that she had hid in her room all day.

                “Alright, let’s go find Lucy then.”

                Beth and Hershel stopped in the kitchen to find a bag of cat treats before heading outside to search for Lucy. They didn’t have to look too far for the cat; she was hiding under the front porch. Beth coaxed her out with the treats and Hershel noticed she was limping. When he caught the cat he examined her front left paw and found a thorn stuck in it.

                “See, this is why she scratched you, Bethy.” Hershel explained after he pulled out the thorn and held it up to show his daughter. “She didn’t mean to hurt you, she was just in pain herself.”

                Beth sighed. She realized she was being selfish by sitting inside and crying because Daryl yelled at her. Something was bothering him and he was just taking it out on her. She had to fix it. She swallowed her pride and got up from the table.

                She found Daryl outside on the porch, sitting on the railing with his back resting on one of the beams that miraculously held up the sagging roof. Beth hopped up on the railing and sat facing Daryl.

                “Hey.” She said cautiously.

                Daryl grunted in response.

                “I’m sorry.” Beth said.

                Daryl shook his head. “For what?” He asked. “I yelled at _you_.”

                “I’m sorry I took it personally.” Beth explained. “Somethin’s obviously upsettin’ you and I’m sorry I was selfish and didn’t help you.”

                “Fuck.” Daryl sighed. “Beth, you don’t owe me shit! I ignore you, I yell at you n’ break shit… Hell, I dragged you out here just to scare you!”

                “OK, but why?” Beth asked.

                Daryl looked confused.

                “There’s gotta be a reason, Daryl. People don’t just hurt people for no reason. And I know you don’t actually hate me, otherwise you never would have helped me that time I almost broke my ankle, or saved me from Shane, or walked me home, or anything you’ve done for me.”

                Daryl couldn’t make eye contact with Beth. With everything laid out in front of them it was easy to see how he really felt about her. He was embarrassed and afraid. It had been a long time since he had felt this vulnerable and it was overwhelming. He got down from the railing and began to pace the porch.

                Beth didn’t realize _that_ was what would hit a nerve with Daryl. She got off the railing too and reached for his hand to bring him back to reality before he could lash out again.

                “Daryl, you don’t have to tell me what’s hurting you right now. Or ever, really.” Beth said sincerely. “Just know that if you do want to tell me, I’ll do whatever I can to help you. I don’t want to see you hurt.” She blinked away a tear and looked Daryl in the eye.

                Daryl had never trusted anyone in his entire life, not fully. In that moment though, something told him that he could trust Beth. It scared him that someone would ever be that kind to him, but it was a different kind of fear than what he was used to. Daryl felt his stomach churning and it felt as if every horrible thing he was keeping from Beth was about to spill out.

                “This place…” Daryl said, careful not to tell Beth _everything_ and unintentionally scare her away. “’S too much like home.”

                He didn’t need to say any more; Beth understood. Not fully, but she knew now where his pain came from and why the cabin had set him off. She wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him as tight as she could, pressing her cheek against Daryl’s chest.

                Daryl was startled at first, but Beth’s warmth softened him. His heart began to race and his palms sweat. He returned the hug and felt an unfamiliar sensation wash over him. This moment that they spent holding each other temporarily dissolved the years of pain Daryl held inside.

                “Let’s sleep out here tonight.” Beth suggested as she loosened her grasp on Daryl.

                “Really?”

                Beth nodded. “Yeah, it’ll be fun. We can watch the lightning and then see the sunrise in the morning. Plus I think it’s cleaner out here.”

                Daryl cracked a smile. “Alright.”

                “I’ll get the sleeping bags.” Beth offered. Now that she knew why the cabin made Daryl so uneasy she wanted to spare him from it.

                Daryl just shook his head and waited for Beth to return with the sleeping bags. He took his and laid it out beside her’s.

                “Are you hungry?” Beth asked as she reached into her backpack.

                Daryl sat down beside her. “You brought food?” he asked. “What, squirrel not good enough for ya?”

                Beth laughed. “I don’t like to eat cute animals.” She said, blushing as she knew how ridiculous that must sound to someone like Daryl.

                “So that’s why you’re so fragile lookin’.” Daryl teased.

                “Fine, no granola bars for you then.” Beth said.

                Daryl shrugged. “Alright. If I starve to death, you’re stuck out here.”

                Beth jokingly rolled her eyes then tossed Daryl a granola bar from her backpack. They ate in silence, watching lightning strike on the horizon.

                Beth began to shiver and inched closer to Daryl until she was pressed up against him. Her closeness made Daryl nervous. He wasn’t one for flirting if that’s what this was, but maybe Beth was just cold. He put his arm around her and felt her shivers dissipate. They fell asleep that way; comfortable and warm in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long, but hey, it's done now! Finally a breakthrough for these two, eh?   
> As always, feedback is much appreciated! Thanks for reading!


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